The tractors are cattle that reside in Radiator Springs, under custody of Frank. They act similarly to cows and roam the fields in Ornament Valley day after day, consuming grass and plowing fields. While most tractors in the series remain nameless, some have been given unique names, such as Rusty in Cars and Betsy in Planes: The Video Game.
In Cars, when Sheriff puts Mater in charge of watching Lightning McQueen during his sentence of community service for a night, the two sneak off to go tractor tipping in Frank's fields. Once there, Mater instructs Lightning on how to play; one must simply drive up quietly to a tractor, and honk their horn. The sudden noise will wake the tractor up, causing them to tip over in confusion.
McQueen attempts to follow Mater's instructions, and revs his engine loudly. While Mater usually only tips one tractor at a time, Lightning's revving wakes up the entire field of tractors, causing them to tip simultaneously. Mater and McQueen laugh at the incident, but are interrupted when Frank, the combine that looks after the tractors, is woken up too, and begins chasing them around the fields. They manage to escape by slipping through the small gate, which Frank is unable to go through. However, they do not close the gate, and the tractors are able to move through it.
A group of tractors in Lightning's dream.
Early the next morning in the Cozy Cone Motel, Lightning McQueen has a nightmare of himself, Chick Hicks, and Strip Weathers being chased by Frank at the Motor Speedway of the South. Frank is given the Piston Cuptrophy, and after the race, Lightning finds himself surrounded by tractors (with one of them mooing at him and another licking his side), before waking up.
The tractor stampede.
When Lightning and Sally Carrera return home to Radiator Springs from their drive in Tailfin Pass, they are greeted by a stampede of tractors, who the town's residents begin chasing around, trying to round them up again. McQueen notices one tractor named Rusty slowly heading towards Willy's Butte, and when he follows it, he discovers Doc Hudson in his racing tires, practicing around the Willy's Butte oval.
In Cars: The Video Game, they only appear in Tractor Tipping. The goal is to tip all the tractors before the time runs out and try to avoid getting caught by Frank and/or the searchlights.
In Mater and the Ghostlight, Mater zooms past some tractors in Frank's field when he thinks he is being chased by the Ghostlight. Mater's screaming causes them to tip.
Cars: Mater-National Championship
In Cars: Mater-National Championship, they appear in the Tractor Tipping minigame. The goal is to tip all the tractors before time runs out like in the original game and try to avoid getting caught by Frank and/or the lamps. At one point, the tractors stampede out of the field again and Lightning and Mater go after them. Mater eventually finds one near the courthouse and attempts to tip it but is stopped by Sheriff.
Cars Toons
Unidentified Flying Mater
Mater teaches Mator how to tip a tractor.
The tractors appear in Unidentified Flying Mater, where Mater takes Mator tractor tipping. Mater tips a tractor with his horn, then Mator tips all of the other tractors in the field with a louder honk that created a crop circle design.
The Radiator Springs 500½
In The Radiator Springs 500½, some tractors appear on a part of the racetrack where it splits into two canyons. Mater tells McQueen, Sandy Dunes, Shifty Sidewinder, Blue Grit, and Idle Threat to go left there, but they instead went right after getting confused with Mater saying that going left is right when he meant that going left is correct. One of the tractors tips as the racers drive past them.
Cars: Race-O-Rama
In Cars: Race-O-Rama, they appear in a minigame called Tractor Stampede in which they are stampeding all over Radiator Springs. The goal is to tip all ten before the time runs out, and there is no Frank to watch out for.
Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales: The Video Game
A tractor as seen in Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales: The Video Game.
Tractors also appear in Cars 2: The Video Game along with Frank. Players can earn the "Tractor Tipping" badge by tipping three tractors at any place they can be found.
In Planes, some tractors appear on the fields during Dusty's training montage. When Ishani is later talking to Dusty in India, a tractor passes them. During their journey to the Taj Mahal, they fly over a few fields full of tractors.
Planes: The Video Game
The tractors appear in a field next to Propwash Junction's runway in Planes: The Video Game owned by a farmer named Pete. In the Blown out of Proportion level, Dusty has to rescue the tractors and take them back to their field with a magnet after they get scattered during a tornado storm.
Disney Infinity
Mater pulling a tractor in the Toy Box.
Some tractors appear in a field next to Radiator Springs in the Cars Play Set in Disney Infinity. One of the tourists have a mission for the player to bring back three tractors to the barn after they got scared by an engine rev and ran away. One of the missions given by Finn McMissile is to tip a few of the tractors.
They can also be unlocked for use in Toy Box mode, by opening a character's chest.
Planes: Fire & Rescue
In Planes: Fire & Rescue, five tractors, with a little one included, are seen going along a tractor crossing across the road to Propwash Junction as Chug and Sparky check to make sure it is clear for Dusty to take off for Piston Peak National Park.
Cars: Fast as Lightning
In Cars: Fast as Lightning, several tractors appear on Mater's Track as course obstacles. If the player fails to successfully perform a trick, the car will bump into a tractor, losing time, and potentially costing the player's victory.
Cars 3
The tractors return in Cars 3.,[2] where McQueen and Cruz Ramirez drive through a stampede of them.
Cars 3: Driven to Win
The tractors return in Cars 3: Driven to Win on many race tracks and the Thomasville playground.
In Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, baby tractors are pulling carts that guests will ride in. Every time Mater sings, the tractors dance in figure 8's.
In Radiator Springs Racers, Sheriff asks Mater to take the riders to the big race. Mater takes them tractor tipping, but then they wake up Frank and run away into Radiator Springs to get ready for the race.
General information
Physical descriptions
Promotional artwork of a tractor.
All of the Tractors seen throughout the Cars series all share the same make model. They are a Holstein Heifer Chewall Diesel Powered. Their liveries can vary between many different paint schemes, the most common being pink with brown spots and slight hints of rust. Another livery that tractors can be seen in is a much whiter color, with the same brown spots and slight hints of rust.
Tractors have four wheels; the front two are displayed very closely together, making them appear to only have three wheels. Attached to them is a thin, tall stick that connects them to the body. Both back wheels are considerably larger than the front two, and are parallel to each other. The rims are very rusty and dirty.
Personalities and traits
A tipped tractor.
Since they are the Cars world equivalent of cows, their behavior mirrors that of a cow. They have a tendency to eat grass, and slowly roam the fields. Additionally, they appear to be lazy and calm, and enjoy quiet environments.
According to their official bio from Cars, although they dislike Mater for interrupting their slumber, they prefer sleeping on their backs.
Powers and abilities
Tractors' jobs are to plow Ornament Valley's fields under custody of Frank, who assists them and watches over them to make sure that they are being productive and do not stray off-task.
"The earliest domestication of the North American tractors can be traced back to the 1800s during the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. Railroaders quickly discovered the tractors' ability to create level grades across even the most demanding geography. Today the native plains tractor is regarded as one of the true pioneers of the West."[3]
"Tractors are hard workers. They enjoy what they do, plowing through the fields on a nice warm day, and then falling asleep under the moonlight. But every so often they wake up to the sound of snorting and giggling trailing off into the distance, and they find themselves lying on their backs staring up at the stars. But they don't mind. It's actually kind of nice to get to sleep lying down for a change."[3]
Tractors can be tipped when they hear horns honking or engines revving loudly. In Cars 2: The Video Game, they are, however, easily tipped when you hit them. In Disney Infinity, they can be tipped by both ways. In Planes, some get tipped when Dusty flies past them during his training montage.
In Planes, the tractors are slightly modified. Examples are that they are a little smaller, the windows are a little bigger, and the mirrors are very tilted.
According to Ishani, tractors are considered sacred in India, which is based upon how cows are considered sacred in India in reality. She also says they get recycled which presumably means reincarnated, a religious belief that many citizens of India possess.
Unwelcome Aboard • In Plane Sight • Fast Friends • Airport Invasion • There's No Place Like Chrome • Oil Rig Showdown • Hit the Road • World Grand Prix • Runway Invasion • Porto Corsa Invasion • Objects in Mirror • Airport Showdown • Burning the Midnight Oil • Coastal Invasion • Runway Runaway • Harbor Hassle • Power Surge • London Showdown • Foe Interior • Hit or McMissile • Unfriendly Competition • Air Power • Rush Delivery • Italy Showdown • Tokyo Invasion • Save the Queen • Sour Lemons • Lightning the Mood • Home Security • Tokyo Showdown
Training Mode • Trouble in Propwash • Himalayan Hero • Ripslinger's Revenge • Blown out of Proportion • Power to the People • Deadstick Cleanup • Volcano Chaos • Old Dog, New Trick • A Colorful Calamity • Too Fast, Too Fueled • Diwali Destruction • The Grand Finale • Super El Taxicabra! • Ticket to Ride • Twist of Fate • Air Force Juan • Full Metal Fuselage • The Junior Jolly Wrench • Firework Festivity • Weathering the Storm • Flysenhower Needs Our Help • The Jolly Wrenches • Icebreakers • Flysenhower Verses the Volcano • Trouble for Propwash • Doppeldusty • Ripslinger Smash • Flying Blind
Items
Toroidal Vortex Cannon • Plow • Vita-minamulch Sprayer • Paint Sprayer • Flare Launcher • Magnet • De-Tornadofier • Lightning Rod • Camera • Super Taxi Magnet • Cannon
